by Joseph Rossi
After watching several serious films in the last two weeks it was a real pleasure to go out and laugh with a crowd.
Enough Said
Nicole Holofcener’s new film Enough Said is a gem of a romantic comedy. It is a smart, well-written movie for actual adults. No sap. No eye rolling. It presents the audience real adults with real emotions dealing with real, relatable problems. It doesn’t have the latest hottie of the month stuck in a romantic rut. The film is about Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a divorced masseuse facing an empty nest, who attempts to try out a relationship with big, huggable, quasi-nerdy Albert (James Gandolfini). Pretty simple. It isn’t. One of Eva’s clients is Albert’s ex wife (Catharine Keener). Eva doesn’t know it at first but when she makes that discovery, all emotional and paranoid hell comically breaks loose. Dreyfus is wonderful here, far removed from the aura of her Seinfeld and Veep persona. She resembles the everywoman; basically our mothers, our best friends, the shoulder to cry on and it’s a welcome fit. Her pain in trying to juggle dealing with her love life and home life is funny and at the same time, emotionally resonant. Gandolfini, in his last role, is a true marvel. There is a joy to his quiet and meek Albert. I wish that he could’ve played more characters like this. It is a testament to the range that this iconic actor, usually saddled with the role of the heavy, had in him.
The Pugilist Film
A while ago I wrote a piece on the made in Montreal amateur boxing flick, The Pugilist Film. Having now seen the film at last Sunday’s Make-A-Wish charity screening I can say that, while amateur in its production, it boasts a real sense of comic timing, heart and winning performances by it’s stars Peter Longo and Rick Ragozzino. Director Steve Candussi and his crew spent three years of their lives making this hybrid that’s a cross between a low rent Christopher Guest film with a This is Spinal Tap vibe. The result is an amusing mishmash of sight gags and deadpan humour that results in a few laughs. The film is to be screened again on the 14th of November at the Scotia Bank Cinema in downtown Montreal. Give a chance to some local talent. You feel good about yourself and have a good laugh in the process.
http://www.thepugilistfilm.com
